Tracks for electrically driven model vehicles



July 14, 1964 A. J. K. EDMONDSON TRACKS FOR ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN MODELVEHICLES Filed Oct. 24, 1961 m QQR Inventor B W @Z ZM Attorneys UnitedStates Patent, Ofifice 3,149,825 Fatented July 14, 1964 3,140,825 TRACKSFOR ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN MODEL VEHICLES Anthony James Kinghorn Edmondson,Selling, Faversharn, Kent, England, assignor to Minic Limited Filed Oct.24, 19b1, Ser. No. 147,285 Qlairns priority, application Great BritainJan. 12, 1961 7 Claims. (Cl. 238-10) One kind of track for electricallydriven model vehicles is made up of sections which are assembledtogether to form a complete track. Each section comprises a base ofinsulating material into which at least one pair of parallel conductingrails are set. Each pair of rails are separated by a gap for receiving aguide member which is carried by a vehicle and which picks up electriccurrent from the rails for driving an electric motor in the vehicle.

It is important for the economical production of large quantities of thesections that the rails should be assembled in the bases in a simplemanner.

According to the present invention, a section of track of the kinddescribed comprises a base of insulating material having a slot in itsupper surface, two conducting rails in the slot being separated andpressed one against each of the side walls of the slot by a separateinsulating strip which is a push fit between the rails and above whichthe rails extend so that, in use, a guide member of a model vehicle canrun along the top of the strip and between the rails and each of therails having a laterally projecting tongue which is received in a recessin the adjacent side wall of the slot.

This section of track is made in a simple manner by forming the basewith a slot in its upper surface and a recess in each side wall of theslot, forming the two conducting rails each with a laterally projectingtongue, inserting the rails into the slots so that the tongues projectone into each recess and forcing the insulating strip down between therails to separate them and to press them one against each side wall ofthe slot.

Preferably the rails are thin metal strips which are retained in theslot with their flat surfaces against the side walls of the slot andeach tongue may then be formed by bending a tab cut from the lower partof the metal strip out of the plane of the metal strip about a verticalaxis.

The base is preferably formed by a plastic moulding having four shallowside walls and a top that is flat except for the slot which penetratesinto a rib on the underside of the top, the recess for the tongues beinginterruptions in the ribs.

One example of a section of track in accordance with the presentinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partly exploded perspective View of the section;

FIGURE 2 is a view of part of the section from below;

FIGURE 3 is a section along the line III-III in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a section along the line lV-IV in FIGURE 2.

The section comprises a moulded base of insulating plastic materialhaving a top 1 and shallow side walls 2. The top 1 has two parallellongitudinal ribs 3 and 4 on its underside and two slots 5 and 6 areformed in the upper surface of the top 1 and penetrate into the ribs 3and 4. Two thin metal strips 7 and 8 which form rails are separated byand pressed with their flat surfaces in contact with the side walls ofeach slot 5 and 6 by an insulating strip 9. The strip 9' is a tight pushfit between the rails 7 and 8 and when the rails and the strip 9 are incontact with the flat base of the slot, the rails 7 and 8 extend abovethe insulating strip 9'. In this position, a

guide member of a model vehicle can run in the groove above the strip 9'and between the rails 7 and 8 which supply electric current to thedriving motor of the model vehicle through the guide member.

Each of the rails 7 and 8 has two tongues 9 and 10 formed by tabs whichare cut out of the lower part of the rail and are bent out of the planeof the rail about a vertical axis. These tongues 9 and 10 extend intorecesses, in the adjacent side wall of the slot 5 or 6, formed byinterruptions in the ribs 3 and 4. The interruptions are surrounded bythin walls 11 which are integral with the top 1 of the base. When therails 7 and 8 are in position, the tongues 9 and 1t) engage the undersurface of the top 1 so that the rails are positively prevented fromworking upwards. As the tongues 9 and 10 extend in opposite directions,the rails are also positively prevented from moving longitudinallybecause the free ends of the tongues 9 and 10 engage parts of thesurrounding walls 11.

The rails 7 and 8 are very quickly and simply assembled in the base.This is done by inserting the rails 7 and 8 in one of the slots 5 or 6with the tongues 9 and 1t projecting from the remote sides of the railsand moving the rails until the tongues are aligned with the recesses.The rails 7 and 8 are then separated and the insulating strip 9 isforced {down between the rails so that they are held apart.

A number of sections are easily connected together to form a completetrack. Each moulded base has a projection 12 and a slot 13 in each endand when twosections are brought together end to end, the projection 12on one section enters a corresponding slot 13 on the next section andvice versa. Each rail 7 or 8 has a resilient bent extension 14 at oneend and the base is cut away to expose a part 15 of the :other end ofthe rail. When two sections are connected, the extension 14 of one railbears against the exposed part of the rail with which it is aligned sothat an electrical connection is made. Adjacent sections mayadditionally be connected by pegs which are received as a push fit intwo circular recesses 16 formed in a solid piece 17 of the moulded base,the recesses in adjacent ends of the two sections being aligned when thesections are brought together.

I claim:

1. A section of track for an electrically propelled model vehiclecomprising:

a base of electrically insulating material having a slot in one facethereof;

two conducting rails removably mounted within said slot in contact withthe side walls thereof;

an insulating strip coextensive in length with said rails,

dimensioned to be a push fit between said rails,

and positioned at the base of said slot to urge said rails against theopposite side walls of said slot; tongues projecting laterally from saidrails;

and means defining recesses in the side walls of said slot for receivingsaid tongues whereby said rails are positively located within said slotand restrained against both upward and longitudinal movement along andout of said slot respectively.

2. A section of track as defined by claim 1 in which said tonguescomprise: tabs cut from the lower part of each rail and bent out of theplane of the said rail.

3. A section of track as defined by claim 1 in which there is a tongueat each end of each rail and a corresponding recess in the side wall ofsaid slot at each end thereof.

4. A section of track as defined by claim 1 in which said base includesa pair of slots in parallel relationship and two pairs of rails, onepair in each slot.

5. The combination defined by claim 1 in which said base comprises amolded synthetic resin shell including four shallow Walls interconnectedby a top; a rib formed on the under surface of said top and said slotextending into said rib.

6. The combination defined by claim 1 in Which said base comprises amolded synthetic resin shell including four shallow Walls interconnectedby a top; a rib formed on the under surface of said top, said slotsextending into said rib and said means defining said recesses comprisingdiscontinuous portions of said rib.

7. The combination defined by claim 6 including Walls surrounding saidinterruptions in said rib and in which said tongues engage both theunderside of said top and said surrounding walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSLingenfelder Feb. 28, Ekstrom Jan. 19, Larrabee Dec. 19, SteigerwaltNov. 17, Schlau Sept. 19, Schlau Apr. 3, Kollmeier June 5, Lovell Aug.7,

FOREIGN PATENTS France Oct. 3,

1. A SECTION OF TRACK FOR AN ELECTRICALLY PROPELLED MODEL VEHICLECOMPRISING: A BASE OF ELECTRICALLY INSULATING MATERIAL HAVING A SLOT INONE FACE THEREOF; TWO CONDUCTING RAILS REMOVABLE MOUNTED WITHIN SAIDSLOT IN CONTACT WITH THE SIDE WALLS THEREOF; AN INSULATING STRIPCO-EXTENSIVE IN LENGTH WITH SAID RAILS, DIMENSIONED TO BE A PUSH FITBETWEEN SAID RAILS, AND POSITIONED AT THE BASE OF SAID SLOT TO URGE SAIDRAILS AGAINST THE OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS OF SAID SLOT; TONGUES PROJECTINGLATERALLY FROM SAID RAILS; AND MEANS DEFINING RECESSES IN THE SIDE WALLSOF SAID SLOT FOR RECEIVING SAID TONGUES WHEREBY SAID RAILS ARE